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Domestic violence at Christmas

I visited a Women’s Aid refuge yesterday to raise awareness of the support available for victims of domestic violence over Christmas. I spent time at Solace Women’s Aid refuge, at a confidential address in North London, and spoke to support workers and victims about their experiences.

The Home Office is working with Women’s Aid and the charity Refuge to encourage victims of domestic violence to seek help and support over the Christmas and New Year period and encourage people to look out for signs of abuse in family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Christmas and New Year is a time of joy for many people but can be very difficult for those living in fear of violence or abuse in their own homes. If you are a victim, or if you suspect you know a victim – help is available. Domestic violence is not a private matter and everyone needs to be involved in helping victims.The work carried out at in refuges and by all the support services for women in danger of domestic violence is of vital importance.

Last year there were more than a million female victims of domestic violence in England and Wales, nearly two women each minute. And every week two of those women lose their lives at the hands of a current or former partner. Each year more than 300,000 women are sexually assaulted and 60,000 women are raped. Overall in the UK, more than one in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

Once again you are directing a policy purely at women when figures show that Men suffer reported Domestic violence in a similar rate, which will be heavily under-reported because of actions like these which are geared towards women re-enforcing the macho attitude that it only happens to women. What options do you know of where male victims of domestic violence can seek help?

In fact you mentioned in your last message about the domestic violence issue you were supporting men and women where’s the evidence?

I grew up in a household and witnessed things no child should have to witness, from both sides. The first thing about abuse is realising it’s happening, it’s a shame the Lib Dems don’t realise the tories are abusing them and until you do that Lynne, you’re in no position to talk about these issues.

What about violence by women against other women? – it happens. This is a power/control issue not a gender issue. Jamie is right you cannot find a solution to this problem by taking out of the equation the other ways in which women experience violence as well as not also recognise the violence experienced by males from both males and women. It is better to realise that both abused men and women can find strength and solidarity in overpowering violent behaviour.

I agree with Jamie in the comment above. Men suffer from domestic abuse too, at a similarly high rate – so why do politicians always focus on female victims whilst completely ignoring the many male victims out there?

It is like the child abuse issue – so often the focus is on men abusing children (mostly girls) but the fact is women abuse children too at a very similar rate and victims are both male and female again at a very similar rate (see Childline statistics for reference).

It is about time some balance was brought to these issues – we already have a situation where the number of male teachers in primary schools has dropped to an incredibly low percentage due to the taboo of men working with children.

“The Home Office is working with Women’s Aid and the charity Refuge to encourage victims of domestic violence to seek help and support over the Christmas”

Great, that’s 60% of victims covered.

Which organisations are you working with that help the other 40% who happen to be men? (I would strongly recommend the Mankind Initiative as the best one out there)>

Both Women’s Aid and Refuge refuse to help men. In fact they’re so sexist they even kick out boys from shelters on their 13th birthday.

I’m getting extremely worried by your posts on this issue Lynne. Your article could easily have been written by any of the New labour man-haters such as Harman or Baird. We elected the Lib Dems in order to support equality and put a stop to the maltreatment of male vicitms.

Can I give you details of a new service for ALL survivors of domestic abuse and people who may be vulnerable.
We have taken the technology used for ‘lone worker’ protection and expanded it to benefit the niche group of vulnerable people above.
We are a social enterprise, low cost and the service is totally confidential. Regardless of our enterprise it is heartbreaking that use of this relatively simple safety system is not more widespread for survivors.
Please, have a look at who we are, how it works. If you feel you can approve of what we are doing – providing some of the most practical assistance especially in high risk cases – let us know.
Our service is unique in the way we support non English speakers. kind regards Lance see our new website at http://www.dashsupport.couk service went live last week.

There seems to be a running theme throughout your domestic abuse posts – nothing mentioned about the countless females who married into marriages of convenience, which turn abusive, in order to get inside the UK. Why? Because they were born out of wedlock to a British father. Due to this bizarre discrimination, they cannot obtain British citizenship like every single other child born to at least one British parent.

You quoted me incorrect policy. Policy that was proven wrong last year during the Borders Bill debates, and was challenged by many Liberal Democrats. The present law was confirmed discriminatory by Tom Brake, Damian Green, and Phil Woolas, but Woolas didn’t think illegitimate children were worth the acknowledgement of British citizenship. Judging his recent fate, I’m sure his decision was due to his own personal racist feelings. But we kids still suffer terribly despite this.

Them’s the brakes, I guess.

Lynne, will you be fighting to end this disgusting nationality discrimination, and allow all illegitimate children citizenship by descent, through at least one British parent, in the upcoming Freedom Bill? An idea to do so was submitted. It got a lot of comments and votes too.

Think about it. End discrimination against women (and men, though there are more women affected) for being born out of wedlock.

I’m sure if children unable to acquire UK citizenship because they were born to unmarried British fathers were either gay or transgendered, you’d be busy blogging all day long about horrible it was, only taking breaks to run to the HoC to submit tons of laws to correct this historical wrong.

One of reason this sort of behaviour on the increase male feel that no longer have a role in society , women tell me they need to be this and that from early age which from primary school so time they get into secondary school system boy’s already turning into emotional coiled spring ready to go at any moment, stan collymoore who had own issue made good point on subject when try to explain what happen to him it’s takes two .. i agree some men just nasty but women don’t help the situation, we need to look at root causes to violence which may be all down to child hood and badly run school’s
Holding boy’s back noto understanding them – we need more men in primary education